Closure structure for containers



April 9,v 1935. 1W. SHI-:RA l l1,997,203

CLOSUE STRUCTURE FOR CONTAINERS FiledNOV. 16, 1932 (l l/ J6 J5 J6 267315.232

Jg Z 2.2

"lll/1111111111 g 12 10 mi. l l, J6 J6 76g 26 J3 J5 Patented Apr. 9,1935 I UNITED sTATEsf PATENT, OFFICE c' CLOSUREv STRUCTURE FORCONTAINERS John W. Shera, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Flange &Manufacturing Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationNovember 16, 1932, Serial No. 642,828 e 1 claims. (c1. zzo-a9) Myinvention relates to closure structure for tainer having a wall I withan opening therein openings in the walls of containers and has to dodened by an upstanding annular flange I I. The more particularly withmeans for preventing unwall I0 at the base of the flange I I is soshaped as detectable tampering with the closure structure. to provide apocket I2 of irregular outline shape 5 One of the objects of myinvention is to proadapted to receive a similarly shaped flange I3? videa simple and inexpensive closure structure of an internally threadedbushing 13, the body including a cap device which is adapted to be ofwhich fits rather snugly within the flange I I. readily and quicklysecured to the closure struc- This bushing I3 is secured to the ange Ilby lture merely by axial movement thereof, but which forming its outerend over and upon the outer cannot beremoved from the closure structureend of the flange to provide a beaded rim I4 prolo without fracturingthe same in such a manner as viding, in part, a seat IIIa which will bereferred to readily indicate tampering and, in fact, comto furtherhereinafter. A gasket I5 is inserted f pletely destroying its furtherusefulness. between the wall I0 and the bushing flangeA |32" Anotherobject is to provide closure structure so that, when the bushing ismounted as above of a character including a main closure plug stated. itis secured in seal-tight fashion to the having accessible lug members tofacilitate insercontainer wall against both rotational and axial tionand removal of the plug, and a seal cap' displacement movements. Theopening formed by adapted to iit over and conceal such plug and to thebushing I3 is closed, preferably, by a metallic be interlocked with thelugs thereof in such a plug I6, the threaded body of which engagesmanner that the cap will freely rotate upon the threads of the bushingI3. This plug is provided closure structure but cannot be removedaxially with an enlarged head 161, the lower peripheral therefromwithout fracture and detection. edge of which is adapted to engage thebead seat A more specific object is to provide a cap of I4a and therebypredetermine the depth which the foregoing character which is providedwith the plugmay be screwed into the bushing. The

` a body adapted to t over and conceal the main plug, beneath its head|68, is provided with a 25 from without separation of the body and memasshown in Fig. 2. 'I'he plug I6 is, preferably,

closure, the body being provided with aY closuregroove IBb inwhich issupported a gasket I1 interlock member connected thereto by a weakwhichcooperates with the bead seat surface |42 ened portion whereby, once thecap has been to provide a leak-proof joint between the plug applied tothe closure, it cannotbe removed thereand bushing when the plug isscrewed inwardly ber at the weakened portion with consequent inofcup-shape having an exterior central opening dication of tamperingshould the cap detachment I6c into which projects diametrically opposedlbe accomplished by an unauthorized person. wedge-shaped lugs I8 formedintegral with the v Other objects and advantages will become applug sidewall. These lugs are adapted to be enparent as this descriptionprogresses and by refer- 'gaged by any suitable instrument (for example,35

'. ence to the drawing wherein: a monkey wrench, or the like) forscrewing of Figure 1 is a top plan view of one form of the plug into orremoving it from the bushing. closure structure embodying my invention,cer- It will be readily appreciated that, unless tain of the parts beingcut away to more clearly guarded against, the plug I5 may be readily re-40. illustrate the same; moved by an unauthorized person using any suit-40 Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken substantially able object toengage the plug lugs I8. The conon line 2-2 of Fig. l, the seal capbeing shown tainer may be used for transportation and storin full linesin its finally-applied position and in age-of various oils, gasoline,alcohol and theA like, dotted lines in its position ready for interlockwherefore, it becomes quite desirable, for reasons with the closurestructure; well known, that the closure structure be sealed 45 Fig. 3 isa. View similar to Fig. 2 except illusin such a way as to preventundetectable access trating the position of the parts with the closureto container contents. To that end, and to discap body broken away fromits interlock member courage tampering with the closure, my invention aswould be the case in detachment of the applied contemplates theprovision of a seal cap adapted cap from the closure structure; and v tobe secured to and conceal the plug IB, the same 50 Fig. 4 is a separatedbottom planl view of the being interlocked with the plug in such a waycap Structure ShGWn 111v Fig. 1. that it cannot be removed without readydetec- My invention has'utility in connection'with tion. various formsof containers and I have chosen Specifically, I provide a. cap having aninverted to illustrate its 'application to a lmetallic concup-shapedbody with a head portion I9 and a 55 skirt 20 adapted to lit freely overthe top of the plugV |6`With its skirt extending down considerably belowthe bead 14. The cap is adapted to be interlocked with the plug lugs 18as follows:

'I'he central portion of the cap head I9 is provided with, preferably,(but not necessarily) three circumferentially aligned slits 2| which areseparated by narrow and, preferably, scored wall portions 22 providingin the center of the cap head an attachment disk-like section 23 joinedto the cap head in a weakened fashion. To the cap disk 23 I attach aninverted cup-shaped member 24 by spot-welding or other suitable means,as at 25. This member 24, like the cap body, is formed, preferably, ofsheet metal and the bottom of its 'skirt portion 24a is rolled outwardlyand upwardly in U-like fashion providing a somewhat flexible resilientannular attachment flange 26 having an enlarged diameter greater thanthe distance between the inwardly extending plug lug ledges 21 at thetop of the lugs. The lugs I8 beneath theirledges are spaced apart adistance substantially the sameas the diameter of the attachment ange-26 of member 24 'so that when the cap is applied it will readily rotateupon the plug.

With this arrangement, after having applied the plugl to thev closurestructure, the seal cap is applied thereto by first positioning the sameas indicated in-dotted lines in Fig. 2. The lugs I8 are of triangularshape in horizontal section and if the cap is tipped at an angle to thedotted line position of Fig.2, the sides of the lugs will tend to guidethe cap and its member 24 into the position indicated; The uppersurfaces of the lug ledges 21 are slightly rounded at 21a as is true ofthe U-shaped attachment flange 26 of the member 24. Therefore, with theparts in position indicated in dotted lines in Fig'. 2, by applyingaxial pressure to the cap to force the same toward and down upon theplug I6, the attachment flange of the member 24 is guided and sprunginwardly past and behind the plug ledges 21 by the latter. When the capis moved fully upon the plug, the attachment flange 26 is disposed withits free edge behind the plug ledges 21 preventing normal removal of thecap from the plug. This arrangement, however, permits of free rotationof the cap upon the plug so that the cap may not be grasped in any wayand vrotated to affect the position of the plug.

'Io remove the cap from the plug any suitable instrument may be insertedunder the edge of the cap skirt, forcing the same upwardly. Uponapplication of sufficient pressure, vthe cap body will separate from theattachment member 24 Y at the weakened disk portion 23 as best indicatedin Fig.'3. Obviously, the cap cannot be detached in any other manner. Inso detaching the cap, it is fractured in such a way that its furtherusefulness is destroyed; and this detachment is instantly detectable.

It is believed that the objects and advantages of my invention above rststated will be obvious from the foregoing. This cap structure may bemade cheaply and is of a type which may be applied easily and quickly.In certain instances the closure may be closely surrounded by spoutstructure and, -in `that case, my cap device` may be readily applied tothe closure since it requires only axial movement toward and upon theplug in accomplishing its detachment. It will be understood that, whileI have shown only one form of structure embodying my invention, changesand details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the claims whichfollow.

I claim:

1'. In closure structure of the class described,

the combination of means forming an opening in the wall of thecontainer, means for closing and sealing said opening, and meansrenderingA 2. In closure structure of 'the class described.

the combination of means forming an opening in the wall of thecontainer, a plug member having a wrench socket and adapted for closingsaid opening, and means rendering said plug inaccessible for removal ofthe latter including a cap member adapted to nt freely over and concealsaidv plug, and another member non-rotatably joined to said vcap memberwithin the latter by a weakened joint and adapted for undetachable andfreely rotatable engagement with the inner wall of the socket of saidplug by movement of said cap member toward said 4plug and said othermember within said socket, whereby said two members are free to turn asa unit relative to Ttrainer, a,\closure member having an accessiblesocket with opposed, spaced ledges therein, and means for renderingsaidclosure member inaccessible which comprises a cap device adapted tot over and conceal said closure member, and an annular element attachedto said cap device by a weakened joint and having a compressibleoutwardly extending circumferential flange of greater diameter than thedistance between said ledges and of lesser diameter than the width ofsaid socket whereby upon movement of said cap device upon and over saidclosure member said element is forced past and snapped behind saidledges where said element is rotatably confined to prevent removal ofsaid cap device except upon fracture of the joint between it and saidannular element.

4. Closure structure comprising, in combination with means forming anopening in a wall of the container, a plug member for closing saidopening and having an accessible axial opening or socket therein,diametrically-opposed lugs in said opening facilitating insertion andremoval of said plug member', inwardly extending projections at theouter parts of said lugs, a cap member tting freely over said plugmember, and an attachment member secured to said cap member by aweakened joint, said attachment member being of inverted cup shape withits bottom edge rolled outwardly and upwardly to provide a yieldingflange of greater diameter than the distance between said lugprojections but of. lesser diameter than the distance between theremainder of said lugs, whereby said cap member is secured to saidclosure member by movement of the former towall of the container, aclosure plug for said opening and having an exteriorly-accessibleopening therein, and means for rendering said plug normally inaccessiblewhich includes a pair of cupshaped members nested in inverted relationwith one secured centrally to the other by a weakened joint, one of saidmembers being adapted to t freely over said plug and conceal the latterand the other member being non-detachably and rotatably engageable insaid plug opening whereby said -plug is rendered accessible only bydetachably separating said members at said weakened joint.

6. A seal cap for structure of the class described which comprises apair of inverted cup-shaped members joined together in nested relationconcentrically at their top portions by a weakened joint, the inner, ofsaid members having the free edge of its skirt rolled outwardly andupwardly to a diameter substantially greater than its skirt diameter.

7. A seal cap for structure of the class described which comprises a capmember having a weakened disk-like section in its central top portiondefined by spaced, circumferentially aligned slits, and another andsmaller cup-shaped member having its top portion centrally connected tosaid disk-like section, said cup-shaped member having an edge formed fornormally non-detachable interlock engagement with the object the capdevice is adapted to cover.

JOI-IN W. SHERA.

